Oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus

ABSTRACT

The apparatus has a rotatable table for receiving a heavy drill bit tool with a threaded upper end to be raised generally vertically by movement of a lever, to which the table is pivotally mounted until the threads of the drill bit engage the mating threads on the lower end of a suspended oil well string pipe with rotation of the table coupling the two together. The table is provided with extendable and retractable arms having upstanding pins for receiving and holding different sizes of oil well tools.

United States Patent Hawkins 1 51 June 20, 1972 1541 OIL WELL TOOL POSITIONING AND COUPLING STARTING APPARATUS Cole".. ..279/11o x Bartoe ....254/13l X Donakowski ..254/131 x [72] Inventor: Harold R. Hawkins, 129 West 5th Ave.,

Anchorage, Alaska 99501 Primary ExaminerJaInes L. Jones, Jr. [22] Filed: May 21 1970 Attorney-Miketta, Glenny, Poms & Smith [2]] Appl. No. 39,321 {57] ABSTRACT The apparatus has a rotatable table for receiving a heavy drill [52] U.S. C1 ..8I/53 bit tool i h a th a ed pper en o be r i ed generally verti- 51 1111. C1 ..B25b13/00 Cally y movement of a lever to which the table is Pivotally 58 Field ofSearch..... ....s1/53,1so;254/131;214/370; mounted until the threads of the drill bit engage the mating 269/57; 279/] threads on the lower end of a suspended oilwell string pipe with rotation of the table coupling the two together. The table 56 R f C-ted is provided with extendable and retractable arms having up- 1 e erences I standing pins for receiving and holding different sizes of 011 UNITED STATES PATENTS well tools- 2,360,l75 10/1944 Tiede ..279/1 10 X n 12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures L g 17 I11 I 25 I l i L29 1 OIL WELL TOOL POSITIONING AND COUPLING STARTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an oil well tool apparatus, and more particularly to an oil well tool apparatus for positioning and lifting a heavy tool into engagement with a suspended upper tool for rotationally coupling the tools together.

In oil well drilling, the drill must be coupled to the lower end of the first pipe of the drill string. Normally, this coupling is accomplished while the first pipe is suspended by a cable from the top of the drilling tower. The drill bit is placed on the drilling table and held with its threaded end upwardly while the suspended pipe is slowly lowered by the cable winch until the threads on the lower end of the first pipe engage the threads on the upper end of the drill bit. The drill bit is then rotated to start the mating threads into each other, and continued rotation of the drill bit screws the threads together.

While the normal coupling steps are quite simple to described, in practice, the steps are quite difficult and dangerous to accomplish because of the weights of the drill bit and pipe and the inability of the cable winch to lower the pipe slowly and precisely. Many times the pipe bangs into the drill bit therebelow with sufficient force to damage the threads. Other times, the pipe stops just short of the drill bit, requiring either that the drill bit to be manually raised which is due to the weight of the tool, is difficult and dangerous or that the pipe to be lowered further this time to most certainly hit the drill bit and damage the threads before the winch can start and stop.

Additionally during the lowering of the suspended pipe, the pipe swings freely on the cable and therefore minor corrections in its downward path over the drill bit must be made by manually pushing and shoving the pipe. If during these corrections the pipe makes an unexpected swing, a workers hands, arms or body may be cought between the pipe and the drill bit. Thus the coupling operation as heretofore done may also be quite dangerous to the workers.

To reduce the injury to the threads caused by the suspended pipe hitting the drill bit, a spring table has been provided on which the drill bit is placed during attachment. The purpose of the table is to absorb the shock of the pipe engaging the threads of the drill bit. before coupling. Due to the heave weight of the drill bit, and the delicacy of the threads thereon, the springs of the spring table must be numerous with a low spring rate. The weight of these numerous springs makes the spring table too heavy to be easily moved over the drill hole where the suspended pipe naturally hangs. Therefore the spring table is usually located to one side of the well hole with the suspended pipe being manually displaced over the spring table and drill bit thereon for attachment.

Not only does the problem in attaching the drill bit to the first drill string occur at the start of drilling, but this problem reoccurs whenever the drill bit needs to be replaced. Additionally, such other heavy tools as drill collars, cement shoes, casing collars, etc. must be threaded to the lower end of a string pipe, using generally the same procedure.

It would be much simpler, less time consuming and less dangerous to lower the drill pipe closely over the drill bit, raise the drill bit controllably into engagement with the lower end of the pipe and then rotate the drill bit to start the threads of the drill bit into the threads of the pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus for receiving a lower tool thereon, for raising the lower tool into engagement with a suspended upper tool, and for rotating the lower tool for coupling to the mating upper tool.

Other and additional objects of this invention are to provide such an apparatus with rotating table means for receiving the lower tool, raising means for raising the lower tool and table means into engagement with the suspended upper tool, and a mounting means permitting rotation of the table means and the lower tool to rotatably couple the lower tool to the upper tool, to provide such an apparatus with the raising means including a manually operable lever means, to provide such an apparatus with the mounting means including articulating means and stop means for limited horizontal rotation of the table means to facilitate alignment of the lower tool with the suspended upper tool, to provide such an apparatus with locating means on the table means for locating the tool thereon, to provide such an apparatus with locating means having extendable arms with constraining means for holding various sizes of tools therebetween to provide such an apparatus with such arms having locking means associated therewith for locking the position of the arms, and to provide such an apparatus which is light weight, easily movable and positionable directly over the well hole to locate the lower tool directly under the natural position of the suspended upper tool.

Generally, the oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus for use with generally vertically aligned oil well tools, to position the lower of said tools beneath a suspended upper of said tools includes table means for receiving and positioning the lower oil well tool thereon, raising means for raising the table means and the lower oil well too] thereon generally vertically upwardly until the lower oil well tool engages the upper oil well too], and mounting means for rotatably mounting the table means to permit the rotation of the lower oil well too] and the table means relative the upper oil well tool for rotationally coupling the two together. The raising means may be a manually operated lever. The mounting means may include both rotatable means for rotatably mounting the table means about a vertical axis, and articulating means for pivotally mounting the table means about a horizontal axis. Additionally, the apparatus may include tool locating means such as a central locating pin, or extendable arms whose movement is guided by guide pins and whose position is controlled by locking means to permit the constraining means thereon, to hold various sizes and types of lower oil well tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of an oil well drilling rig showing the oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus of this invention, being used to position a drill bit below a suspended drill string pipe prior to couling the drill bit to the pipe;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with the drill bit thereon shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the arms of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view taken along the plane lV--IV of FIG. 2, showing the table means and the arms of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the broken plane V-V of FIG. 4 showing the construction of the table means and of the arms of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus according to this invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The apparatus 10 is shown in conjunction with an oil well 11 having a drilling table 12 over which a drilling tower 13 rises. Associated with the drilling tower is a power driven winch (not shown) with a wire rope or cable (not shown) extending therefrom to pass around a pulley (not shown) at the top of the tower 13 before being slung around the upper end of the first pipe 14 of a drill string. The lower end of the pipe or other upper tool 14 is shown with an external thread 15 for mating with the internal thread 16 of a drill bit 17 or other heavy lower tool. The drill bit or heavy lower tool 17 is shown received on the apparatus 10 and positioned beneath the pipe or upper tool 14 ready to be raised into engagement therewith.

Generally, the portable oil welltool positioning and a coupling starting apparatus 10 includes table means 20 for receiving and positioning the lower oil well tool 17 thereon, raising means 25 associated with the table means 20 for raising the table means 20 and the lower oil well tool 17 thereon generally vertically upwardly until the lower oil well tool 17 engages the upper oil well tool 17 engages the upper oil well tool 14 in a vertically aligned relationship therewith, and mounting means 35 associated with the table means 20 and the raising means 25 for rotatably mounting the table means 20 to permit the rotation of the lower oil well tool 17 and the table means 20 relative to the upper oil well tool 14 for rotationally coupling the tools together. Additionally, the apparatus 10 may include tool locating and maintaining the lower tool 17 centrally of the table means 20.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the table means 20 has a disk-shaped upper member 21 with a depending boss 22 welded thereto to form an integral part of the upper member 21.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the raising means 25 in the preferred embodiment is a manual L-shaped lever 26 having a table end 27 and a handle end 28. A stabilizing tube pivot 29 is attached to the lever 26 at the bend thereof, with the tube pivot 29 extending laterally outwardly from the lever 26 a suitable distance to give lateral support thereto (see FIG. The lever 26 has a reinforcing bar 30 extending from the table end 27 thereof over the tube pivot 29 to be attached to the handle end 28 adjacent the tube pivot 29. For convenience, the handle end 28 of the lever 26 is provided with an eyelet 31 through which a ring 32 passes to facilitate the hanging of the apparatus in a convenient out-of-the-way location for storage.

The mounting means 35 of the preferred embodiment includes a rotatable means 40, for rotatably mounting the table means 20 and an articulating means 50 for horizontally pivotally mounting the table means 20. As best seen in FIG. 5, the rotatable means 40 includes a central opening 41 in the boss 22 for receiving a thrust ball bearing 42. A pivot yoke 43 has the upper portion 44 thereof inserted through the ball bearing 42 until the inner race thereof engages the lower shoulder 45. The upper portion 44 is secured to the inner race of the ball bearing 42 by a snap ring 46. Directly below the ball bearing 42 in the central opening 41 is a seal 47 removably held in place by snap ring 48. The seal 47 engages the central portion 49 of the pivot yoke 43 to exclude dirt and foreign matter from reaching the thrust ball bearing 42.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 2, the articulating means 50 of the mounting means 35 includes a lower portion 51 of the pivot yoke 43 which has a horizontal bore 52. A pair of spaced tubular collars 53 are welded to the table end 27 of the lever 26. The tubular collars 53 each have a brass bushing 54 for receiving a shaft 55. The shaft 55 extends through the tubular collar 53 and through the horizontal bore 52 of the lower portion 51 of the yoke 43. A cotter pin 56 non-rotatably attaches the shaft 55 to the lower portion 51 of the pivot yoke 43. Grease fittings 57 are provided in the spaced tubular collars 53 to lubricate the shaft 55 as it pivots in the brass bushings 54. The pivoting of the lower portion 51 of the yoke 51 with the shaft 55 in the spaced tubular collars 53 is limited by the engagement of the cutter pin 56 with the table end 27 of the lever, and by the engagement of the table means 20 with the reinforcing bar 30 of the lever 26 to provide stop means 58 for limiting the articulation of the table means 20 relative the raising means 25.

Additionally, the apparatus 10 according to the preferred embodiment of this invention is provided with tool locating means 60 which includes a locating pin 61 and extendable and retractable arms 65. As best seen in FIG. 5, the locating pin 61 has a frustoconical upper end with the lower end thereof being slidably and removably located in the central opening 62 of the disk-shaped upper member 21.

The construction of the extendable arms 65 is best seen in FIG. 3. Each arm 65 include an upper member 66 and a lower member 67 joined at the outer end by an integral spacer 68.

The outer end of each arm 65 is provided with constraining means 69 which in the preferred embodiment is an upwardly protruding pin.

As best seen in FIG. 4, guide means 70 is provided on the arm 65 and on the disk-shaped upper member 21 for guiding the extension and retraction of the arms 65 to maintain the constraining means 69 generally equally circumferentially spaced about the table means 20. The guide means 70 includes a pair of spaced upwardly protruding side pins 71 in the disk-shaped upper member 21 adjacent the circumference thereof and adjacent circumferentially equally spaced notches 72 therein. A radially offset slot 73 is provided in the member 21 with a roller 74 being located between the upper member and lower member 66 and 67 of the arm 65 to be positioned in the slot 74. The engagement of the roller 74 with the ends of the slot 74 prevents the arm 65 from being pulled free of the upper member 21.

The extendable arms 65 are also provided with locking means 75 for selectively locking each arm from retraction and extension relative the table means 20 in various selected positions. In the preferred embodiment, the locking means 75 includes a row of holes 76 in the table member 21 adjacent the slot 74. A leaf spring 77 is attached to the lower member 67 adjacent the outer end thereof by attaching screws 78. The other end of the leaf spring 77 has a locking pin 79 which passes through a hole 80 in the lower member 67 to extend into the proper hole 76 to lock the respective arm 65 from extension or retraction.

In operation, the apparatus 10 is retrieved from storage and placed on the drilling table 10 adjacent the oil well hole (not shown). The proper locating pin 61 is inserted into the central opening 62 of the member 21 for the particular lower tool 17. Each arm 65 is moved to the proper location by manually pulling the locking pin 79 downwardly out of a particular hole 76, sliding the arm 65 to the proper location and then releasing the locking pin 79 to permit the leaf spring 77 to move the pin 79 into the proper hole 76 to relock the arm 65 in the proper location. The particular lower tool 17 is then manually placed on the table means 21 with the locating pin 61 and the upwardly protruding pins 69 constraining the lower tool 17 centrally of the table means 20.

While a first worker holds the lower tool 17 on the table means 20, the other worker manually moves the apparatus 10 directly below the suspended pipe or upper tool 14, as is shown in FIG. 1. When the apparatus 10 is properly positioned, the first worker pivots the table means 20 and the lower tool 17 to a vertical position if need be, while the second worker raises the table means 20 and the lower tool 17 by applying force to the handle end 28 of the lever 26. During this step, the first worker is holding the suspended upper tool 14 against swinging and making minor corrections in the alignment of the tools. When the lower tool 17 engages the upper tool 14, the first worker rotates the table means 20 to rotate the lower tool 17 and to start the internal threads 16 thereof into the external threads 15 of the upper tool 14. While the threads 15 and 16 are being started, the second worker is gradually raising the lower tool 17 to ease the load on the threads 15 and 16. When the upper and lower tools 14 and 17 are sufiiciently threaded to be secured together for final tightening, the apparatus 10 may be removed and returned to its storage location until the apparatus is again needed.

Additionally, the apparatus 10 may be used to hold a heavy lower tool 17 from dropping from the upper tool 14 as the lower tool 17 is being disconnected by placing the apparatus 10 beneath the lower tool 17 and manually raising the table means 20 until it engages the lower tool 17 Thus, the oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus of this invention can manually receive a heavy lower tool thereon, raise the heavy lower tool into engagement with a suspended upper tool, and rotate the heavy lower tool for coupling to the suspended mating upper tool.

I claim:

1. An oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus for use with generally vertically aligned oil well tools, to position a heavy lower tool thereof beneath a suspended upper tool thereof for the rotational coupling of the upper and lower tools, comprising:

table means for receiving and positioning said lower oil well too] thereon,

raising means associated with the table means for raising the table means and the lower oil well tool thereon generally vertically upwardly until the lower oil well tool engages the upper oil well tool in a vertically aligned relationship therewith, and

mounting means associated with said table means and said raising means for rotatably mounting said table means to permit the rotation of the lower oil well too] and the table means relative to the upper oil well toolfor rotationally coupling the tools together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting means includes;

articulating means for horizontally pivotally mounting the table means and the lower tool thereon for movement relative the upper tool to permit the vertical alignment and coupling of the tools.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the mounting means includes:

stop means associated with the articulating means for limiting the horizontal pivoting movement of the table means and the lower tool thereon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the raising means includes a lever with the mounting means provided at one end thereof and a handle provided at the other end thereof, and

a pivot adjacent the one end, said pivot protruding outwardly, laterally of the lever to provide lateral stability to the lever on the pivot axis thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the mounting means includes:

articulating means for horizontally pivotally mounting the table means and the lower tool thereon for movement relative the upper tool, said articulating means having an axis which is parallel to the pivot axis of the lever to permit the table means to be maintained in a horizontal position throughout the movement of the lever, and

stop means for limiting the horizontal pivoting movement of the table means and the lower tool relative the upper tool yet permitting the pivoting required to maintain the table means in the horizontal position throughout the movement of the lever.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein tool locating means are provided on said table means for locating the lower tool centrally of the table means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tool locating means includes:

a plurality of arms slidably mounted to the table means for extension and retraction relative thereto, said arms having constraining means for holding the lower tool therebetween on the table means, and

guide means in the table means to guide the path of reciprocation of the arms relative to the table and thereby to maintain the constraining means generally equally circumferentially spaced about the table means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each arm includes an upper member, a lower member, connected together by a spacer at the outer endthereof, said members receiving the table means therebetween to be supported by the table means in all positions of the arms.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the guide means for each arm, includes;

a slot in the table means,

a pair of spaced protruding pins extending from the table means, and

a roller protruding from the arm and extending into the slot on the table, said arm being located between the spaced pins and slidable therealong as the roller thereof slides along the slot, the engagement of the roller with the ends of the slot limiting the extension and retraction movement of the arm.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein locking means are provided for locking the arms from retraction and extension relative the table means, said locking means locking the arms in selected positions.

11. A manual operated oil well positioning and coupling starting apparatus for use in connecting a heavy first oil well tool having a first threaded end mating with a generally vertically suspended second oil well tool having a second threaded lower end, and being suspended a given distance above a support, said apparatus comprising:

table means for receiving and positioning said heavy first oil well tool thereon, with said first threaded end facing generally vertically upwardly,

table mounting means for rotatably mounting said table means for manual rotation of said first oil well tool thereon; and

manually operable lever means associated with said table mounting means for manually raising said table means generally vertically upwardly at least the distance above the support beneath said second oil well tool, to raise the first oil well too] into engagement therewith to facilitate the coupling of the first and second threads by rotation of said first oil well tool, and table means relative said second oil well tool.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the lever means is manually operable during the coupling of the first and second threads to slowly raise the first oil well tool and thereby relieve the load therefrom on the threads. 

1. An oil well tool positioning and coupling starting apparatus for use with generally vertically aligned oil well tools, to position a heavy lower tool thereof beneath a suspended upper tool thereof for the rotational coupling of the upper and lower tools, comprising: table means for receiving and positioning said lower oil well tool thereon, raising means associated with the table means for raising the table means and the lower oil well tool thereon generally vertically upwardly until the lower oil well tool engages the upper oil well tool in a vertically aligned relationship therewith, and mounting means associated with said table means and said raising means for rotatably mounting said table means to permit the rotation of the lower oil well tool and the table means relative to the upper oil well tool for rotationally coupling the tools together.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting means includes; articulating means for horizontally pivotally mounting the table means and the lower tool thereon for movement relative the upper tool to permit the vertical alignment and coupling of the tools.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the mounting means includes: stop means associated with the articulating means for limiting the horizontal pivoting movement of the table means and the lower tool thereon.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the raising means includes a lever with the mounting means provided at one end thereof and a handle provided at the other end thereof, and a pivot adjacent the one end, said pivot protruding outwardly, laterally of the lever to provide lateral stability to the lever on the pivot axis thereof.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the mounting means includes: articulating means for horizontally pivotally mounting the table means and the lower tool thereon for movement relative the upper tool, said articulating means having an axis which is parallel to the pivot axis of the lever to permit the table means to be maintained in a horizontal position throughout the movement of the lever, and stop means for limiting the horizontal pivoting movement of the table means and the lower tool relative the upper tool yet permitting the pivoting required to maintain the table means in the horizontal position throughout the movement of the lever.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein tool locating meAns are provided on said table means for locating the lower tool centrally of the table means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tool locating means includes: a plurality of arms slidably mounted to the table means for extension and retraction relative thereto, said arms having constraining means for holding the lower tool therebetween on the table means, and guide means in the table means to guide the path of reciprocation of the arms relative to the table and thereby to maintain the constraining means generally equally circumferentially spaced about the table means.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each arm includes an upper member, a lower member, connected together by a spacer at the outer end thereof, said members receiving the table means therebetween to be supported by the table means in all positions of the arms.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the guide means for each arm, includes; a slot in the table means, a pair of spaced protruding pins extending from the table means, and a roller protruding from the arm and extending into the slot on the table, said arm being located between the spaced pins and slidable therealong as the roller thereof slides along the slot, the engagement of the roller with the ends of the slot limiting the extension and retraction movement of the arm.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein locking means are provided for locking the arms from retraction and extension relative the table means, said locking means locking the arms in selected positions.
 11. A manual operated oil well positioning and coupling starting apparatus for use in connecting a heavy first oil well tool having a first threaded end mating with a generally vertically suspended second oil well tool having a second threaded lower end, and being suspended a given distance above a support, said apparatus comprising: table means for receiving and positioning said heavy first oil well tool thereon, with said first threaded end facing generally vertically upwardly, table mounting means for rotatably mounting said table means for manual rotation of said first oil well tool thereon; and manually operable lever means associated with said table mounting means for manually raising said table means generally vertically upwardly at least the distance above the support beneath said second oil well tool, to raise the first oil well tool into engagement therewith to facilitate the coupling of the first and second threads by rotation of said first oil well tool, and table means relative said second oil well tool.
 12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the lever means is manually operable during the coupling of the first and second threads to slowly raise the first oil well tool and thereby relieve the load therefrom on the threads. 